On my quest to find self-love, I found that painting myself nude rid me of my body dysmorphia. I could not deny that there was beauty in the art, just far enough removed from my physical body that I could not distort it. Painting nude portraits of my friends who also struggled with these issues allowed me to give them the gift of perspective—seeing their bodies as art. This collection was an opportunity for me to spread love to students at Harvard, who are often acutely aware of their imperfections.
I used bright colors to celebrate my models’ physical bodies and represent the intangible beauty within. In the painting of the couple, I expressed the merging of their bodies by using blue and pink paints, which created indigo. I gave my subjects the freedom to choose their poses, because I wanted them to feel confident and part of the creative process, represented in a way they are proud of. The only parameters I gave them were to include their torso and have dramatic lighting, and everything else was up to them. I did cut off the heads of the figures to protect their anonymity. This ambiguity also enables the viewer to imagine that their body is represented as well.
Nudity is the epitome of vulnerability: there is no room to hide. I thank the models for their courage to participate in this project.
